Album review: ELECTRIC DUCKS – Change Your Mind

Originally starting out as an AC/DC tribute band, it’s taken the Ducks three albums and a line-up change to shake off, pretty much, the final vestiges of their former modus operandi.

Their 2007 debut Rock Your Fashion was crafted in the mould of an AC/DC release, and the follow up, Back ‘n’ Forth (2010) was another hard rocking set.

Change Your Mind sees something of a change in direction for the French outfit, who with a new lead guitarist (Gaudry Etienne) and drummer (Deroubaix Roch) in tow, have recruited Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Airbourne, Bryan Adams) and Eric Mosher (Beiber, AC/DC) to record, produce and mix.

So while crunchy AC/DC signature riffs haven’t been entirely exorcised, they don’t surface until the penultimate track ‘Who Belongs To My World’. What dominates proceedings instead is a huge slab of radio friendly 80′s rock, very much in the mould pedalled by Bryan Adams circa Reckless. Even Constans Guilhem’s vocals have shades of his phasing and intonation.

That said, and even if there’s nothing remotely French about the album, it doesn’t sound overly derivative and there’s some great material here. From the bluesy, almost Bad Company strains of ‘Good Time In The City’, the hints of Journey in ‘Something In Your Eyes’, the funk/rock of ‘The Plan’ featuring a duet with Chrystal Leigh, and yes, the AC/DC indebted ‘Who Belongs To My World’ (ironically, one of the best tracks), there’s much to be enjoyed here.

And while I’m still not entirely convinced that ‘back to the future’ is the way forward, it’s easy to imagine the Ducks ticking all the right boxes at events like HRH AOR. ***1/2

Reviuew by Pete Whalley

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